Alcohol abuse and addiction are the most common drug problems in the U.S. Unfortunately, people with these problems can’t control their alcohol use. Even when possible, cutting back on drinking isn’t enough to make real changes. Therefore, undergoing drug and alcohol rehab treatment in San Antonio is necessary.
What Happens If You Do Nothing?
Undergoing alcohol rehab in San Antonio could save your life. Working with therapists to overcome the chemical dependence makes it possible to live a life of sobriety. However, if you do nothing, your addiction continues. You’ll keep drinking more and more to satisfy your cravings.
After a while, you’ll no longer get a high from the alcohol. Instead, you simply keep drinking to avoid the withdrawal symptoms and any intrusive thoughts you’re struggling with. Over time, your health suffers. You can’t keep up with work or school any longer.
You withdraw from others and will probably lose your job. Your health will fail. But you don’t have to go down this road. Luckily, there’s an alcohol treatment San Antonio residents can trust. In fact, the caring therapists at the San Antonio Recovery Center want to help you with your recovery right now.
How Alcohol Treatment Works
To understand alcohol treatment, having an overview of how it works is extremely helpful. Abuse and addiction programs guide patients through safe, effective counseling methods. Although treatment specifics differ, they involve the following four phases.
Deciding to Change
Identifying an addiction problem and deciding to make a change is difficult for many. People usually deny excessive drinking, so there’s no willingness to seek treatment. However, without a desire to stop drinking, they can’t begin recovery. At this point, alcohol is controlling their actions, so they’ll need help recognizing the problem.
When deciding to get treatment, quitting drinking may be the only goal. Rehab medical teams help assess alcoholism severity. Often, you’ll work on quitting drinking before discussing further treatment.
Detox
Stopping alcohol use is the second stage of alcohol treatment. Inpatient and outpatient detox options are specifically for getting clean. However, inpatient detox programs are the most successful because they build a foundation for further treatment.
Detox starts with a full medical checkup during inevitable withdrawal symptoms. Above all, patients need to be completely honest about their alcohol use and family history. They must also notify medical staff about any medical conditions or health issues.
Overall, providing this information allows staff to administer the proper medicines and therapeutic methods. This is important because the medicines they use reduce temptations and ease symptoms. Additionally, therapeutic relief could include acupuncture, massage or exercise to lessen pain. By knowing more about you, the staff can predict and prevent potential complications from withdrawal symptoms.
The 12 Steps and Therapy
Quitting alcohol consumption doesn’t cure addiction. People also need to develop commitment and motivation. Active treatment with 12 steps philosophy and specific therapy helps them achieve successful sobriety.
During the first three to six months after getting sober, many people experience anxiety, depression, and insomnia. Hormone imbalance and sleep problems are also common. Because of these environmental factors, they’re more likely to relapse without additional support.
However, the 12 steps and addiction therapy can help them learn skills for staying sober and provide a network of support. Therapy helps them deal with the cause of alcohol use. This teaches them coping methods for living with an addiction. Additionally, some counseling methods involve teaching them how to replace negative thoughts, actions, and emotions with positive ones.
Staying Sober and Preventing Relapse
Maintaining recovery is the final step to alcohol treatment. After making a relapse prevention plan, putting the plan into action is the next step. It usually involves avoiding drug influences, triggers, and attending support group meetings. Many sober people credit their ongoing success to these support groups.
Furthermore, people in recovery can also lean on loved ones for support. Most relatives and friends are proud when family members reach sobriety. Therefore, they want to be a part of the long-term recovery process.
Alcohol Treatment San Antonio Offers Involves Family Members and Friends
Recovery doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Unless there are reasons to exclude your family and friends from your healing, it’s a good idea to invite them. Family therapy, for example, helps with boundary setting and the development of healthy communication styles. If you grew distant from friends and family members during your addiction, now is an excellent time to reconnect.
Therapists facilitate your recovery by helping you reconnect with others and discover what sits at the core of your addiction. By committing yourself to a recovery problem, such as choosing a 12-step approach to recovery, you demonstrate your desire to make changes. You may find that your loved ones will eagerly participate in your healing if they see your commitment to healing.
San Antonio Recovery Center Can Help You With Alcohol Use
If you or a loved one has an alcohol problem, alcohol treatment in San Antonio, Texas can help. We offer diverse alcohol abuse and addiction programs, including:
At our alcohol treatment center in San Antonio, we believe addiction recovery requires comprehensive treatment. Therefore, we combine accurate diagnoses with advanced treatment methods in a therapeutic, supportive atmosphere. Based on our 12-step philosophy, we’ll design your treatment plan according to your needs.
Don’t let alcohol abuse or addiction take over your life. Get the help that you need at San Antonio Recovery Center. Call us now at 866.957.7885 to become a better, healthier, sober you.